I kind of hate my state now
Jun. 17th, 2005 02:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eiriasThe birth control ban passed the Assembly.
It now moves to the state Senate. Doyle has said he will veto it, which is reassuring, but I would prefer it not come to that - I don't want our Democratic governor to have to spend political capital on this; it will only make the situation worse.
Two things are unclear:
1) Whether this ban could be interpreted to deny standard birth control pills to UW students as well - my reading says "probably not," but I am wary nonetheless, because one never knows with this sort of thing
2) Whether the ban applies to private healthcare providers contracted by UW to provide care for graduate students - my reading says "yes," actually
This really is part of the culture war - the stated reason for this bill is to express disapproval at student promiscuity. Even if I agreed that it was the Legislature's place to approve or disapprove in this fashion (and I don't), I strongly disagree that this is a useful way of doing it. Many of the students that will be affected by this are not promiscuous drunks on spring break; many are students in long-term relationships or marriages. That the State of Wisconsin lumps me in with vacuous frat girls carrying twelve credits of Home Ec and five strangers' semen offends me more than I can say.
It now moves to the state Senate. Doyle has said he will veto it, which is reassuring, but I would prefer it not come to that - I don't want our Democratic governor to have to spend political capital on this; it will only make the situation worse.
Two things are unclear:
1) Whether this ban could be interpreted to deny standard birth control pills to UW students as well - my reading says "probably not," but I am wary nonetheless, because one never knows with this sort of thing
2) Whether the ban applies to private healthcare providers contracted by UW to provide care for graduate students - my reading says "yes," actually
This really is part of the culture war - the stated reason for this bill is to express disapproval at student promiscuity. Even if I agreed that it was the Legislature's place to approve or disapprove in this fashion (and I don't), I strongly disagree that this is a useful way of doing it. Many of the students that will be affected by this are not promiscuous drunks on spring break; many are students in long-term relationships or marriages. That the State of Wisconsin lumps me in with vacuous frat girls carrying twelve credits of Home Ec and five strangers' semen offends me more than I can say.